


Flowers In The Rain

by KyeAbove



Series: The Reinforcement Of Agony AU [18]
Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: Dad Henry In Training, Gen, Trans Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-24
Updated: 2018-01-24
Packaged: 2019-03-07 22:09:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13444431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KyeAbove/pseuds/KyeAbove
Summary: On a particularly rainy day, Henry meets a young teenager selling flowers.





	Flowers In The Rain

~August 3rd, 1930~

* * *

 

Another morning, another fight with Linda.

Henry knew that he dedicated too much time to the studio. He knew that his fellow animators could do more work. He knew he should be reminding Joey it wasn’t him who was married to Henry, but Henry had his reasons for everything. He just didn't wish for his marriage to suffer for it.

People were always telling him that giving her children to look after would solve all his problems. But Henry was smarter than that. He knew Linda wouldn't be satisfied by those pitter-patter of feet. Until they could help her with chores, at least. And believe him, they weren't trying to not have kids.

Henry was the one that wanted kids anyways. But they'd probably pass on childless at this rate.

People called him foolish. Henry was twenty-four, and while he should have already had at least one child in two years of marriage, he had time. But Henry didn't have much faith in Linda or himself.

The same people who called him foolish told him to pray. Henry had never been a religious man, but he might even be that desperate.

The least he could do was keep Linda happy, but he wasn’t doing well with that either.

Just his luck, it was raining today. Even though the walk to the studio wasn't too long, it still left him even more miserable. Henry knew that Joey was going to be trouble today, and he would get the worst of it if he wasn't careful. Even if Joey didn't go after him, any of the others could by his association to Joey.

For once today, his luck turned out good when he spotted a flower stand. That could solve some problems before they even had a chance to be. Henry jogged over, lowering his umbrella as he slipped under the flower stand’s own.

Henry was greeted by a smiling woman, who looked more tired than anything.

“Buying flowers for your wife in this weather? How sweet.” Henry would let her assume that. “I’ll let my assistant help you.”

A tiny mop of hair poked out from behind some flowers. Baby blue eyes narrowed, and they belonged to a young teenager, who, in contrast to the woman, wore a scowl.

“Now, now. What did I say about smiling?” The woman asked, and the kid forced a smile. “Better!” She complimented, like she didn't know what a forced smile was. As a champion of the sport, Henry understood the kid’s pain. “I’m just going to step away for a moment. I expect a sale!”

Henry watched her leave into the rain, dumbfounded. She made Joey look a damn saintly boss and he knew her for less than a minute.

“Your mother knows nothing about running a business.” Henry said as the kid approached.

“She’s not my mom. Just my boss.” The kid said, looking very disappointed. “She’s only one who’ll hire me. I'm not from around here.” The kid sighed. “What can I get you?”

Henry scanned the flowers.

“Do you have any flowers that mean ‘Please don't make this day worse?’” Joey had more interest in the supposed language of flowers then Henry did. It was one of his less concerning interests.

The kid’s eyebrow raised, and then Henry saw a flash of a genuine smile. The kid started running around, grabbing flowers, laughing. All too quickly, the kid came back with a bouquet.

“This means ‘You have disappointed me, I’m sad, you’re stupid, give me a break’. Does this work?” The kid asked. Henry smiled, taking the bouquet. It was a little sad that Joey would most likely pay more attention to flowers then Henry’s words, but alas. “Thanks! I finally got something I enjoyed putting together.”

“Thank you…hmm? For such beautiful bouquet, I wish I had a name for you so I can ask for your later.” The kid’s eyes showed both confusion and validation.

“Um…call me Mary…no point in giving you any other name. You'd just tell me off like everyone else.” Mary said the name like it was something bitter. “But honestly, I’m thinking of quitting. Don't know where I’d go after this, but…” Mary stopped, realizing that it wasn't a good idea to reveal this much to a stranger.

But Henry couldn't leave in good faith. This child would live a slow death, seeking praise and receiving almost nothing.

“My business could use a janitor. Our last one was just fired by my partner. It’s not as glamorous as selling flowers, but it should pay better than whatever she’s paying you.”

“Huh?”

“I’m offering you a job, if you’ll accept.”

“But Sir, I’m-”

“My business has very few restrictions on who we hire.”

Mary actually looked considerate of the offer now, but was smart to question this. Probably more than Henry was, and he was the one who was making the offer.

“What's the place?”

“Joey Drew Studios.”

“Are you Joey Drew?”

“No, I’m Henry Bendtsen. I co-founded the studio, but Joey’s name is more presentable.” Henry shifted the bouquet. “An animation studio with the name ‘Drew’ attached to it was too good to pass up.”

“I heard Mister Drew is a little funny.” But there was no disdain in Mary’s eyes.

“He certainly is very gay.”

Mary looked over at all the flowers, and then back at Henry.

“Can I leave a note with your payment? I’ve chosen to trust you and accept your offer.”

Henry nodded, pulling out the bills while Mary pulled a notepad out of a pocket of the flower patterned dress Mary must have been forced to wear. As Mary wrote, brown locks of hair hiding much of Mary’s face were being pushed out of the way more then Mary was writing. But eventually, Mary finished and placed the note on top of the bills.

Satisfied, Henry opened his umbrella, and while he knew it would cover the both of them, from how Mary seemed frustrated with all that hair, he decided to lie.

“My umbrella might not cover the both of us. Your hair could get wet. Here,” Henry removed his cap and handed it to Mary. “This should help.”

Mary accepted it with a grin, and did not move from under the stand’s umbrella until every strand of hair had been pushed under it.

“Thanks. All this hair is such a chore. I want to cut it, but haven’t been able to.”

Henry was beginning to suspect something vital about this kid, but chose not to push it.

“So, what kind of work would I be doing at the studio?” Mary asked as they walked to the studio, firmly pressed to Henry's side even though the umbrella was rather large.

“Clean anything that needs cleaning. Except ink. That's a lost cause.” That had been the last janitor’s downfall. Spending so much time on ink that nothing else was being cleaned.

“Well, of course. It’s an animation studio.” Mary pointed out, already proving better than the last guy. “So do you draw the Bendy cartoons? Or are you a music guy?”

“Kid, I created him.”

“I’m talking to the _creator_ of Bendy?” Mary skipped a little, all excitement. “I see the Bendy cartoons when I can afford to see movies.”

“You’ll get to see them made. If you’re particularly lucky -or you annoy the animators- you might even get a character based on you.” Henry smiled at Mary’s excited look.

“Really?!”

“Many of the lesser characters are based on the studio workers. Little Beau Peep was based on our Music Director Sammy Lawrence, for example.” Sammy hadn’t been particularly happy about it. But he'd realized calling the animators ‘sheep’ was retaliation enough.

“I want to be a cartoon one day.” Mary said, smiling wider.

“Impress the animators and that may just happen.”

They walked and talked until the animation studio was just up ahead. Henry and Mary raced to the door, and Henry closed his umbrella as they stepped into the building.

“Follow me to the office, and we’ll get things settled.” Henry said, and Mary nodded enthusiastically.

Mary looked at everything, whispering and asking so many questions that Henry struggled to keep up. Mary received a smile back for every smile flashed at those passed. No one knew who Mary was, but not one person was ignorant of Mary's happiness.

Once they reached the office, Mary was bouncing around in anticipation. Henry sat down at the desk and found all the appropriate documentation.

“So, we have a no questions asked policy, so all I need to fill out is the relevant information.”

Mary rattled off all that relevant information, still bouncing, until that cheerful smile fell. Mary’s eyes shifted around the room now, and muddy boots tapped against the floor.

“Um…Mister Bendtsen?”

“Yes?"

“Does my name have to be Mary on there?”

Henry shook his head, something of a knowing smile on his face.

“What would you rather it be?”

Mary thought for another second, judging that Henry was thinking kindly, then nodded.

“Walter.Walter Franks. Wally.” All was spate out excitedly in a verbal tumble.

Henry wrote the name down on the file.

“Well, Mister Franks. Since I own half this business, I can automatically approve you for work here. Welcome to Joey Drew Studios, Wally.” Henry held his hand out over the desk. Wally’s eyes were wide, and glitzing with tears. Happy tears.

“Thanks, boss!” Wally cheered, shaking Henry’s hand before dissolving into more tears of happiness. “Won’t let ya down.”

**Author's Note:**

> Henry was using gay as an emphasis, and it was used quite a lot as one before it came to be a label.
> 
> And the name Mary shall never again be uttered in this context. The dress shall be burned.


End file.
